The 2021 Annual Technology Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) Startup Village Energy Startup Competition was held on Monday, 13 September. Judges selected a single "Best in Show" and three "Rising Star" winners. Additionally, the audience declared the "People's Choice" winner.
- Best in Show – Hivecell, Beacon, NY, USA. $35,000 in prize money.
- Rising Star – Cheetah Networks, Ottawa, ON, Canada. $7,500 in prize money.
- Rising Star – CRA-Tubulars, Abu Dhabi, UAE. $7,500 in prize money.
- Rising Star – Spotlight, Massy, France. $7,500 in prize money.
- People’s Choice – Spotlight, Massy, France. $1,000 in prize money.
The 2021 Startup Village program occurred virtually on 13–14 September. Competitors from around the globe showcased their company’s innovations to investors, industry representatives, and veteran entrepreneurs. This free 2-day event, available through the Startup Village website, also gave participants the opportunity to join discussions, ask questions, and gain insights from leading experts. Both days of the program are now available on-demand until 23 December as part of the 2021 ATCE on-demand event program.
The ATCE Startup Village is a partnership between SPE and the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship at Rice University. Launched in 2017, the Energy Startup Competition is a fast-paced competition showcasing emerging energy technology companies.
Competitors receive visibility among leaders in the upstream energy industry, recognition as technology leaders, the opportunity for cash prizes, networking with leading energy investors, and mentoring.
The 12 finalist companies selected to present have the opportunity to participate in a mentoring session before the competition and receive complimentary admission to ATCE.
During the competition, each company is given 5–8 minutes to provide information about the company and technology to a group of venture capitalists, angel investors, and industry leaders.
During "Meet the Experts," all participants have an opportunity to ask questions and gain insights from investors, industry representatives, and veteran entrepreneurs about building startups.
ATCE will formally kick off next week in Dubai, UAE. The industry conference will be held in-person and virtually. Registration for ATCE can be found here.